Dispatch's Pete Francis to play three-week residency at Garcia's

Updated 3:15 pm, Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Greenwich native Pete Francis, of the band Dispatch, embarks on a three-week residency at Garcia's in Port Chester, N.Y., the club attached the Capitol Theatre, in December.

Greenwich native Pete Francis, of the band Dispatch, embarks on a three-week residency at Garcia's in Port Chester, N.Y., the club attached the Capitol Theatre, in December.

Photo: Contributed Photo

Dispatch's Pete Francis to play three-week residency at Garcia's

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From the moment Pete Francis saw his older brother perform on stage at the Capitol Theatre, he knew he wanted to be a musician.

"It was life changing," said Francis, who was 12 at the time that his brother's teenage rock outfit, Army of Souls, opened for The Wailers. "It dawned on me, at that moment -- I want to be in a band."

His adolescent rock-star dream came to fruition when, in 1994, Francis co-founded Dispatch with two of his classmates at Middlebury College. Following in the tradition of the Grateful Dead, the trio became one of the most successful independent rock groups in history, attracting legions of loyal fans and going so far as to sell out Madison Square Garden three nights in a row in 2011.

Now, more than two decades on from the night of his brother's milestone gig, everything is coming full circle: Francis embarks on a three-week residency at Garcia's, the newly-minted live music space that's connected to the Capitol Theatre, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 12 and 19.

"It's a really special place," Francis, who grew up in Greenwich, said of the legendary rock venue. "I walked into the building the other day -- you gotta think, the Dead were there in the '70s ... it was so cool for guys like me to be able to go to this historic venue that was only 20 minutes away. I'm so honored to play there."

Naturally, Francis is making the most of the opportunity. Over three nights, he will play songs from his sweeping solo catalogue, including his latest LP, "Immodal Implozego," along with Dispatch tunes and improvisational jams.

Each night, he will be joined by a different slate of local musicians -- Ian Murray on Dec. 5, Barefoot Truth on Dec. 12 and Finger Sleeve on Dec. 19.

"Those guys will open the show and then we'll jam," Francis said. "We're making it a big jamboree."

Aside from being his first performance under the roof of the Capitol Theatre, the residency marks Francis' Greenwich area homecoming. After living in the town until he was 18, Francis went to Middlebury College and later, moved to New York City. However, it was in Greenwich -- at the shuffleboard table at Bruce Park Grill, of all places -- that he met his wife, Katie. The couple shared a mutual appreciation for Greenwich and its picturesque surroundings.

"We love New York, but we sort of felt like being out here in the town with the parks and the beach; it's just such a nice environment to grow up in," said Francis, who moved to Old Greenwich with Katie and their two kids this year. "I love our neighborhood, the Sound and Tod's Point -- these are the things I was really happy to come back to."

The Capitol Theatre was undoubtedly part of the appeal. Admiring the Grateful Dead artifacts -- photos, artwork and equipment -- that adorn Garcia's exposed brick walls on a recent afternoon, Francis felt a profound sense of gratitude. To be able to play in a place where the Grateful Dead appeared so many years ago, a place that set his destiny in motion, "it's such an honor," Francis said.

"The Cap really has a lot of history for me," he said. "I'm bringing some of my favorite musicians and we're going to throw down and absolutely jam every night."